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Overview

Gljúfrabúi translates to “one that lives within the canyon,” and that’s exactly where this waterfall resides. Found tucked away between a small entry between two rocks, you will find a legendary Icelandic waterfall that makes you feel like you’re in a bubble from the outside world. Although this waterfall is only a short five minute walk away from the incredible Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, this is a less visited attraction and doesn’t draw a big of crowds, which makes it a bit more exclusive.

Gljúfrabúi Waterfall Look Up

Quick Facts

Time Spent35 min
Best Time to Visit?Daytime
Seasonal?Year-Round
Cost for EntryFree
Worth It?Must Go
Bathrooms Available?Yes

Attraction Tips

Be Careful Walking into the Canyon

There are only a few conveniently placed rocks that lead into the canyon to the waterfall that are above water, so be careful! We would recommend having waterproof shoes / boots on to walk inside and avoid getting your shoes wet.

Climb Up on the Rock to Get a Picture!

There is a gigantic rock at the bottom of the waterfall that people climb on to snag an epic picture looking up at the waterfall.

Visit Seljalandsfoss Waterfall at this Same Stop

This stop features another amazing waterfall, Seljalandsfoss, that is just a five minute walk from Gljúfrabúi.

How to Get There & Parking

Address:

Gljúfrabúi Waterfall
Þórsmerkurvegur, Iceland
 

Parking: Free

There is a huge shared parking lot with Seljalandsfoss with plenty of parking

Attraction Details

We would recommend starting out parking near and visiting Seljalandsfoss first before making the 5 minute walk over to Gljúfrabúi. This way you can hit both waterfalls in a loop and end up back at the car. When you get to Gljúfrabúi, there is a small opening between two rocks that you will step through to get to the waterfall. Be careful, however, as there are only a few small rocks that are above the surface of the water to make your way to the waterfall – and there can be people using those same rocks to exit the canyon. The water is relatively shallow though, so if you have waterproof boots on (which we would definitely recommend having), you should be able to walk right through the water.

Once you’re inside, there is a gigantic rock at the base of the waterfall that you can stand on and look up at the falls – it’s a pretty cathartic experience. We spent about 10-15 minutes inside and outside the waterfall, and it’s not very crowded compared to Seljalandsfoss which is great because there isn’t much room inside for a crowd of people.

After we finished our time at Gljúfrabúi, we walked back towards the other waterfall and parking lot area, where there are food trucks and bathrooms, and grabbed some hot chocolates and a shared delicious lamb sandwich that ended up being the perfect snack.

Attraction Details

We would recommend starting out parking near and visiting Seljalandsfoss first before making the 5 minute walk over to Gljúfrabúi. This way you can hit both waterfalls in a loop and end up back at the car. When you get to Gljúfrabúi, there is a small opening between two rocks that you will step through to get to the waterfall. Be careful, however, as there are only a few small rocks that are above the surface of the water to make your way to the waterfall – and there can be people using those same rocks to exit the canyon. The water is relatively shallow though, so if you have waterproof boots on (which we would definitely recommend having), you should be able to walk right through the water.

Once you’re inside, there is a gigantic rock at the base of the waterfall that you can stand on and look up at the falls – it’s a pretty cathartic experience. We spent about 10-15 minutes inside and outside the waterfall, and it’s not very crowded compared to Seljalandsfoss which is great because there isn’t much room inside for a crowd of people.

After we finished our time at Gljúfrabúi, we walked back towards the other waterfall and parking lot area, where there are food trucks and bathrooms, and grabbed some hot chocolates and a shared delicious lamb sandwich that ended up being the perfect snack.

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Gljúfrabúi Waterfall is featured in the following itineraries:

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